Wolfstar's Tragedy
by Wolfstar of ShadowClan
Summary: Although they respected her as a fair and wise leader, many cats know Wolfstar as the heartless, cold, unfriendly cat that she became somewhere in her apprenticeship. Almost none of them know why she became that way. But the truth is, she wasn't always that way. Journey with her while she walks the path of a warrior, the path of adventure, joy, grief, sorrow, and love.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**Hey everyone out there! Hope you enjoy my first fanfiction! I will try not to beg for reviews throughout the fanfic, but if I get really desperate, I might just make a little reminder. Besides, you know that reviews=new chapter! For the allegiances, I highlighted the names in bold in case you didn't want to read the whole thing. Hope you enjoy!**

**BTW, Wolfstar of ShadowClan does NOT own Warriors, as much as I wish I did.**

**Allegiances**

Leader: **Pantherstar**

Jet-black tom with green eyes

A: **Wolfpaw**

Deputy: **Blizzardsnow**

Snow white tom with ice blue eyes

A: **Tigerpaw**

Medicine Cat: **Shimmerpool**

Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

A: **Owlwing**

Warriors

**Spottedclaw**

Dappled-gray tom with yellow eyes

A: **Blossompaw**

**Sunblaze**

Golden she-cat with blue eyes

A: **Swiftpaw**

**Blackmoon**

Black tom with amber eyes

A: **Emberpaw**

**Amberflower**

Dark orange she-cat with green eyes

A: **Acornpaw**

**Breezewing**

Tortoiseshell tom with green eyes

**Flamestrike**

Flame-colored tom with bright green eyes

Apprentices

**Owlwing**

Dark gray tom with amber eyes

**Tigerpaw**

Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Blossompaw**

Pretty tabby she-cat

**Emberpaw**

Black she-cat with white belly, tail tip, and ears, and amber eyes

**Swiftpaw**

Brown tom with sky-blue eyes

**Acornpaw**

Brown tom with green eyes

**Wolfpaw**

Black she-cat with fierce yellow eyes

Queens

**Aspenleaf** (Mother of Spottedclaw's kits)

Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Kits: **Lionkit** (Golden she-kit with amber eyes), **Sparrowkit** (Tortoiseshell she-kit with green eyes), **Dawnkit** (Light tabby she-kit with green eyes)

Elders

**Silverfang**

Grumpy silver tom with blue eyes

**Crowwing**

Black tom with yellow eyes

**Prologue**

The jet-black tom rested his head on his paws in exhaustion. He had sorted out five arguements that day, taken over ordering patrols as his deputy was sick with whitecough, and went out hunting three times and only managed to catch a scrawny lizard. _StarClan please give me some rest, _he prayed as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Pantherstar."

"Pantherstar!"

"PANTHERSTAR!"

Pantherstar leaped up in alarm and gazed around wildly. _Is WindClan attacking?_

"Pantherstar." He glanced behind him and saw a thick-furred black she-cat gazing at him impatiently.

"Shadowstar?" he meowed disbelievingly, bowing his head in respect. For the founding leader of your Clan to come to you in a dream, whatever she was going to tell you must be really important. Pantherstar had only seen her once, when she had given him a life when he became leader.

"You don't have to bow, we are all equals here, remember?" Shadowstar reminded him somewhat irritably. Pantherstar raised his head and gazed expectantly at the black she-cat.

"A cat will ask to join your Clan," she told him, her body slightly shimmering. "Accept her no matter what your Clan sa-" She didn't get to finish her sentence before she disappeared completely.

Pantherstar lifted his head drowsily. _What happened? A cat is coming to join our Clan? _The sunlight was peeking in through the den entrance. Just then, a young dark brown tabby tom raced into Pantherstar's den.

"Pantherstar," he gasped. Pantherstar jumped to his feet in alarm. "What's wrong Tigerpaw?"

"At the border. Cat wants to join Clan." Pantherstar's eyes widened in surprise. _Already? _He nodded his thanks to Tigerpaw and sprinted out his den.

**Sorry the prologue was a bit short. The chapters will be 1000 words+.**


	2. Chapter One

**Here's the first official chapter of Legacy of Wolf! Uh nothing else to say so just hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter One

Pine needles crunched under black paws. Yellow eyes gleamed warily, scanning the trees for cats. The cat hesitantly stepped across a heavily scented border and trekked on. Pine trees slowly swallowed up the cat. She stopped and looked around warily once more, then continued on.

Snap.

The cat halted and swiveled her head sharply. A heavy weight landed on her back, claws piercing her fur. She instinctively dropped into a crouch, and tried to shake her attacker off. Another cat darted out in front of her and swiped a paw, claws unsheathed, at her muzzle.

"Please..." the cat begged hoarsely. "I only... want... to speak... with your... leader." The cat on her back sprang off, and the she-cat sighed with relief. It quickly turned into a sharp intake of breath when she realized he had only done so to join the circle of glaring cats surrounding her.

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" one of the cats, a dappled gray tom snarled. "How do we know you're not just trying to trick us into leading you to our camp?"

The she-cat searched desperately for something to convince them that she meant no harm. _Maybe... that I'm alone? No, no. Oh! I know!_

"If you don't trust me, have some cats guard me here and send some cats to your camp to get your leader. I would like to speak to him," she replied as confidently as she could muster.

"If we do that, the camp will be unguarded! You're trying to lure our leader away from the camp so when you and your friends attack, our Clan will be in chaos already!" the dappled tom growled, aiming another swipe at her. The black cat didn't flinch, standing her ground.

"You don't have a second in command?" she taunted, taking a dangerous risk. "Don't you have a deputy... some of the sort?" The tom glared at her, and the black she-cat smiled triumphantly. He turned to a young, dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and whispered something in his ear. The tom nodded, turned, and took off into the forest.

A golden she-cat got to her paws and padded over to him, meowing something quietly. The tom meowed something back, and the golden cat went back to the rest of the cats. She sought out a red-furred she-cat and a tortoiseshell tom, and they padded back into the trees. Only the dappled tom and the black she-cat remained.

"Now we wait," he growled, sitting down, "for our leader." Almost as if on cue, a jet-black tom with amber eyes burst through the trees, followed by the dark brown tabby.

"What's this?" the black tom growled.

"Pantherstar," the dappled tom meowed respectfully,"this cat has asked to see you. To prevent her from finding out the location of our camp, I asked Tigerpaw to fetch you." _He must be their leader._ Pantherstar turned to the black she-cat.

"What is your name?"

"Wolfstorm."

"But that's a warrior name. Which Clan are you from?"

"I'm not from a Clan. I gave myself my name."

A growl rumbled deep in Pantherstar's throat. "Here in ShadowClan, in all the Clans, names are given by the leader. If you want to join our Clan, you will have to be only Wolfpaw. Your warrior name will be given to you when you pass all your assessments or when I think you are ready to become a warrior."

"But Pantherstar," the dappled tom broke in. "You're not seriously consi-"

Pantherstar swung his head around to glare at the dappled tom. "Spottedclaw, you should know not to interrupt me." Spottedclaw lowered his head in embarrassment. "Besides, I never said that she was joining the Clan, did I?" Spottedclaw shook his head. Pantherstar turned back to Wolfstorm.

"You may live with our Clan for a short while. You have one moon to prove yourself," Pantherstar decided. Spottedclaw opened his mouth, ready to barge in, but thought the better of it. "Follow me," Pantherstar meowed, loping away. Tigerpaw glanced at Wolfpaw emotionlessly, then followed him. Spottedclaw glared at Wolfpaw and sprinted forward to catch up to Pantherstar. He raced along behind him, trying to leave Wolfpaw behind. _Not happening._ Wolfpaw easily ran alongside Spottedclaw. Actually, scratch that. She was a fox-length ahead of him, and even gaining more ground. Finally, Pantherstar started slowing down, his lope turning into a slow jog.

The group entered a narrow thorn tunnel. The end opened up into a big clearing. Cats padded in and out of dens of bushes and trees. At one edge of the clearing, there was a big heap of small animals: frogs, lizards, and a few woodland animals such as squirrels and mice.

Cats were beginning to turn to stare at her, Pantherstar, Spottedclaw, and Tigerpaw. Pantherstar leaped up onto a smooth boulder at the edge of the clearing, and Spottedclaw and Tigerpaw seated themselves beneath it. Wolfpaw hesitantly padded over and sat down next to him and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Great Boulder for a Clan meeting!" Pantherstar yowled commandingly.

Cats padded out of dens and joined her, Spottedclaw, and Tigerpaw sitting under the boulder. When everyone had gathered there, Pantherstar began talking.

"I have decided to allow this rogue who wants to join us to stay with us for one moon. If she proves herself worthy of becoming part of our Clan, I will let her join." Heads swiveled to stare at her. Yowls of outrage filled the air.

"She can't join!"

"What if she betrays our camp's location to enemies?"

"We can't become like ThunderClan!"

"QUIET!" Pantherstar yowled with a hint of anger in his voice. Silence filled the clearing. "Breezewing, we are only allowing her to join for three moons. She is the first and only I will ever invite into our clan. We will NOT become like ThunderClan. Blackmoon, if she betrays our Clan's camp's location, I am willing to risk that." Pantherstar swung his head around to stare warmly at her. Wolfpaw sighed with relief. Thank you.

The cats fell silent, but a few still glared at her. Wolfpaw stared at her paws, shifting uncomfortably.

"From this day until you leave or become a warrior, you will be known as Wolfpaw. I will be your mentor." Growls and hisses sounded from the Clan. Wolfpaw could tell that some cats were trying to hold back more yowls of outrage, but they held back. Pantherstar's gaze swept over his Clan before he meowed, "Welcome to ShadowClan, Wolfpaw."

**I kind of made the some of the prologue and some of the first chapter happening at the same time. Hope it wasn't confusing!**


	3. Chapter Two

**And Chapter Two is OUT! Here you go my beloved readers!**

Chapter Two

"Why don't you go meet the rest of the apprentices first," Pantherstar suggested, padding up to Wolfpaw. "Then I'll take you to see the territory."

Wolfpaw nodded in agreement, and Pantherstar steered her over to a large cave, where a group of cats about her age where staring warily at her. She nodded a silent greeting, and Pantherstar left to go smooth the fur of a few warriors who were glaring at her resentfully.

They sat around awkwardly for a moment before a brown tom with green eyes spoke up. "I'm Acornpaw," he meowed. "My mentor's the deputy, Blizzardsnow." He nodded over to a snow white tom who was arguing with Pantherstar. _I definitely can't guess what they're arguing about, _Wolfpaw thought drily.

"He never lets us forget about it," another brown tom meowed, nudging him teasingly. "I'm Swiftpaw," he mewed, blue eyes playful and friendly. "My mentor is Sunblaze." He glanced at a golden she-cat. At least she didn't seem that hostile towards Wolfpaw.

"My name is Emberpaw," a small black she-cat meowed, smiling at Wolfpaw. Despite her size, she seemed very confident, and it was obvious the other apprentices respected her.

"And I'm Blossompaw," a pretty tabby she-cat introduced herself, glaring at Wolfpaw with narrowed eyes. _I should've guessed not all of them would like me, _Wolfpaw thought disappointedly.

She smiled at the rest of them and said,"As you all already know, I'm Wolfpaw."

"And your mentor is Pantherstar," Blossompaw spat, her glare not faltering. Wolfpaw forced herself not to give her a rude retort. "I guess so," she replied, trying to act snobbish.

"Sheesh, Blossompaw," Emberpaw mewed. "You don't have to act so mean. Wolfpaw didn't choose her mentor." Blossompaw glared at Emberpaw, and Emberpaw glared back. They had a silent staring contest before Blossompaw gave up and looked down.

"Thanks Emberpaw," Wolfpaw whispered gratefully. Emberpaw simply nodded.

"I actually have staredowns with Blossompaw about three times a day," Emberpaw purred. Wolfpaw purred too.

"Want me to give you a tour of the camp?" Emberpaw offered. Wolfpaw nodded eagerly.

"Sure!"

"We'll see you guys later," Emberpaw told the toms. She didn't look at Blossompaw.

"Ok," Acornpaw agreed and padding into the apprentice den. Swiftpaw smiled at Wolfpaw before following Acornpaw.

"So, as you already know, this is the apprentice den," Emberpaw mewed, nodding at the gap where Swiftpaw and Acornpaw had disappeared in.

The black she-cat led the other black she-cat over to a large bramble bush. "This is the warriors' den," she explained. "When we complete our training we'll be sleeping here. You might even get your warrior name too." A pang of disappointment pierced Wolfpaw's heart. She had forgotten that she was only staying for one moon. _I will prove myself, _she thought determinedly. _I'll make it so ShadowClan can't turn me away!_

Emberpaw padded over to a small hollow. The den was reinforced with thorn bushes. "This is the Nursery," she mewed, stopping at the entrance. "Queens nursing kits and queens-to-be stay here."

"What is a queen?" Wolfpaw asked hesitantly. _I bet I sound stupid._

Surprise flashed across Emberpaw's face, then understanding. "I forgot you weren't from another Clan," she murmured. "Queens are mothers with kits," she explained in a louder voice. _That makes sense._

Next to the nursery was a den made of leaves and moss. "This is the elders den," she mewed, gesturing to the den. "The apprentices have the job of taking care of the elders. You know, taking food, cleaning nests, that stuff. Taking care of the elders is also used as a punishment."

Wolfpaw tilted her head in surprise. "Is it that bad?" she asked. Emberpaw grimaced.

"They can find ten things to complain about in their bedding," Emberpaw replied spitefully.

Next to the High Boulder leaned another boulder. Ferns grew behind the two, boulders, and Wolfpaw could smell the scent of herbs. A white she-cat with blue eyes lay at the entrance, grooming herself. Emberpaw padded over to her, Wolfpaw following hesitantly behind.

"Whitefeather, this is Wolfpaw," Emberpaw meowed, making Whitefeather look up. When her gaze landed on Wolfpaw, it softened, something Wolfpaw did not expect.

"You're the new apprentice," she mewed softly. "It must be hard for you, to have so many cats despise you for your non-Clan origins." Wolfpaw blinked in surprise. _Whitefeather seems pretty nice. Maybe we can be friends._

"I'll get used to it," she replied nonchalantly. "I just want to be the best warrior I can be, and I don't care if the other cats don't like me." Whitefeather smiled.

"That's the spirit," she meowed.

"Whitefeather's the Clan medicine cat," Emberpaw broke in. "She takes care of the sick cats, helps queens give birth, shares tongues with StarClan, those kind of things."

"What's StarClan?" Wolfpaw asked. "Is it another Clan? Why doesn't she share tongues with the other Clans?"

Whitefeather's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Someday, you and I will lie under the stars, and I'll tell you all about StarClan. But for now, all you need to know is that StarClan are our warrior ancestors, deceased cats. Every halfmoon, the medicine cats of all four Clans go to the Moonpool to speak with StarClan."

"You can talk to dead cats?" Wolfpaw meowed, hope flaring within her chest. Whitefeather nodded.

"Do you think maybe I can go sometime and talk to my parents and my brother?" Wolfpaw asked hopefully. Her heart sank when Whitefeather shook her head.

"StarClan only consists of cats that believed in it," Whitefeather explained. "If you've never heard of it, I'm sure your parents and brother haven't either."

Emberpaw pressed against her comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll see them again when the time is right," she murmured in Wolfpaw's ear.

Wolfpaw nodded, and she felt a tiny bit better at Emberpaw's words, but she was still disappointed. "We'll see you later, Whitefeather," she meowed, trying to sound cheerful. Whitefeather smiled in response and padded back into her den.

Next to the medicine cat den grew a huge oak tree. Emberpaw led Wolfpaw over and sat down, licking a paw. "This is the leader's den," she meowed, pointing at a gap in the roots. "And that is pretty much the whole ShadowClan camp."

"I assume you have finished touring the camp, yes?" a deep meow sounded from behind them. Wolfpaw and Emberpaw whirled around to see Pantherstar standing there, looking a bit amused.

"Yes, Pantherstar," Emberpaw replied. The ShadowClan leader smiled. "Thank you, Emberpaw, for showing Wolfpaw around. Wolfpaw, come, let's go see the territory." Wolfpaw nodded her thanks at Emberpaw and took off after Pantherstar through the thorn tunnel.


	4. Chapter Three

**Starting next chapter, I will start to reply to reviews, so please review! Wolfstar of ShadowClan doesn't own Warriors!**

Chapter Three

Pantherstar broke into a lope as soon as they entered the trees. Wolfpaw followed suit and sprinted alongside him, leaping over every log and racing across every turn in unison with him.

Pantherstar glanced sideways and his eyes widened in surprise when he realized that Wolfpaw was running right next to him. He quickened his pace and so did Wolfpaw. They raced through the forest for a while, but then all of a sudden, Wolfpaw skidded to a halt. Pantherstar looked back and turned around, bounding back to where she was.

"Are you ok?" he asked, a look of concern visible on his face.

"We passed that log before," Wolfpaw stated, pointing with a paw at a mossy log. "I thought you were showing me the territory."

Pantherstar's whiskers twitched in a small smile. "It seems that your observation skills are better than I thought. I try that on every new apprentice and they always take much longer than you did to realize it. I was also testing how fast you can run. You've passed that test with flying colors." Wolfpaw smiled happily when she realized she had already aced a test on her first day.

"Now let's get to the real territory," Pantherstar mewed, walking past her into the other direction. He broke into a jog, and soon they came across a small clearing. They crossed it and Pantherstar stopped at the edge of the trees on the other side. Wolfpaw could still smell ShadowClan scent, but there was another scent too, mingled with the ShadowClan scent. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Pantherstar gazed at her, whiskers twitching faintly with amusement. "That is the ThunderClan border," he explained. "There are four different Clans, including ShadowClan. We share borders with ThunderClan and RiverClan. WindClan is on the other side of the lake." Wolfpaw nodded, trying to keep up with all the information racing through her head. Her mentor walked over to a tree and sprayed it, strengthening the ShadowClan scent. Wolfpaw followed suit with a bush. She was just about to head back to Pantherstar when the bushes behind her rustled and a cat came out, eyes narrowed in a hostile glare.

"Wolfpaw, get over here." Pantherstar's growl was so low that Wolfpaw could barely hear it. She tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?" she asked. "It's only one cat-"

"Get OVER here!" Pantherstar snarled. Wolfpaw flinched at Pantherstar's angry tone and lowered her head, padding back to her mentor's side. She had just gotten there when three more cats emerged from the trees. Wolfpaw's eyes widened in alarm and she shrank back.

"Pantherstar, would you mind letting us know why your apprentice was _our_ side of the border?" the first cat growled. Wolfpaw's eyes widened even more. _I crossed the border?_

"It is Wolfpaw's first time out of camp, she didn't know better," Pantherstar calmly defended her. Growls came from the other cats. "I'm sorry that she crossed the border, but it was a mistake," Pantherstar meowed firmly. "I will make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I assume you will punish her?" one of the other cats on the patrol meowed with a hint of smugness in his voice. The sentence was more of a question than a statement.

"That is for me to decide," Pantherstar replied cooly. "Let's go, Wolfpaw." This time, Wolfpaw followed without hestation. She could feel the burn of the ThunderClan cats' stares as she and Pantherstar padded back into the forest.

When they had gone a good distance from the border, Pantherstar turned on her with a snarl. "Did you not smell the border or what? What you did back there was against the warrior code! The ThunderClan cats had the full right to attack you right there and then!" Wolfpaw shrank back, surprised at her mentor's sudden anger.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered nervously.

"You should be!" Pantherstar snarled. He was about to keep ranting when he saw how scared and frightened his apprentice was. Pantherstar calmed down a little at Wolfpaw's expression. "And you should not have questioned me when I told you to come back," he told her quietly. Wolfpaw nodded, head drooping in shame. _He'll probably never make me a warrior now. _Her head jerked up in surprise when she felt Pantherstar's tail resting on her back.

"It's alright," he meowed. "I won't punish you, and this doesn't lessen your chance of becoming a warrior, but next time don't do it again." _It was like he read my mind. _Wolfpaw brightened up at his words. "Now why don't we go back to camp?" he suggested gently. "I think you've had a big enough scare today." Wolfpaw nodded in agreement, although a little disappointed that she didn't get to see the rest of the territory. _Don't be so ungrateful, _she scolded herself. _You should be glad that Pantherstar didn't give you an actual punishment._

As they were heading back through the thorn tunnel, Pantherstar whisperd in her ear, "How 'bout we keep this little encounter between you and me?" Wolfpaw nodded gratefully.

"Thanks, Pantherstar," she meowed. "I'm sorry I did what I did." Pantherstar smiled.

"It's alright," he replied. "Just know better next time." Wolfpaw felt a whole lot lighter after Pantherstar forgave her. When they entered the camp, she padded over to Emberpaw, who was eating a small lizard. She sank down next to her new friend and lay her head on her paws.

"Well you're back soon," Emberpaw commented, pausing her meal to glance at her. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Wolfpaw replied cooly, trying to act nonchalant. "Pantherstar showed me the ThunderClan border." Emberpaw nodded slowly.

"Today was our first battle training session," she mewed, a hint of pride in her meow. "Blackmoon said I did really well for my first time."

"Nice!" Wolfpaw mewed encouragingly. "I can't wait for my first battle training session."

Emberpaw smiled. "It's one of the most exciting parts of training."

The sound of footsteps approaching made Wolfpaw swivel her head around. Blossompaw had padded over and was staring at them with a scowl on her face.

"Can we help you?" Wolfpaw asked slowly. Blossompaw padded closer, to Wolfpaw's surprise, and lowered her head to whisper in the black she-cat's ear.

"Stay _away_ from Swiftpaw," she hissed, making Wolfpaw's jaw drop. "He's _mine._" _Is she _jealous _of me?_

"Ok Blossompaw," Wolfpaw started, turning her head toward Blossompaw. "First of all, I don't like Swiftpaw. Second, he decides who he wants his mate to be, not you. Third, you can't tell me what to do." Blossompaw glared at her before turning her back on her and padding away. The message was clear. _I don't like you. You don't belong here._


	5. Chapter Four

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I went skiing for the holidays and my mom wouldn't let me use her laptop. :( So this chapter will be a bit longer. Wolfstar of ShadowClan does not own Warriors. I probably never will.**

Chapter Four

Wolfpaw raised her head drowsily and yawned sleepily. _Where am I? _she thought in alarm, jumping to her feet. _Who are all these unfami- wait, I know these cats. Emberpaw, Blossompaw, Swiftpaw, Tigerpaw, Acornpaw. _The black she-cat felt a sharp pang of sadness when she noticed that her brother and parents weren't there. _Oh well, at least I have somebody, _Wolfpaw thought optimistically, gazing at Emberpaw's sleeping form, then thinking of Pantherstar. _I can pretend Emberpaw is my sister and Pantherstar is my father, _Wolfpaw decided, smiling. _After all, my Clanmates are my family now, even though I might not necessarily like all of them, _she thought, glancing at Blossompaw's.

The young apprentice arched her back and stretched as well as she could in the crowded cave. Then she tiptoed around the nests to the entrance, trying not to bump into anyone. Wolfpaw emerged from the apprentice den and lifted her head to allow sunlight to pour onto her face. She bounded over to the fresh-kill pile, but stopped in dismay when she saw that the pile consisted of only a frog and a scrawny lizard. _I guess I'll go hunt my own meal, _Wolfpaw thought, shrugging. _I'm used to it. _Wolfpaw shuddered as she closed her eyes and remembered the few days before she came to ShadowClan after her parents were killed by the foxes. _I had to hunt for myself then, so why can't I do it now?_

Wolfpaw trotted out of the thorn tunnel and into the expanse of pines. She soon spotted a decently fat lizard and crept toward it. She pounced and quickly dispatched it with a swift bite to the neck. The black she-cat picked up the lizard in her jaws and bounded back to camp. She dropped it near the entrance to the apprentice den and plopped down next to it. She was just about to bite into it when Blossompaw's voice startled her.

"Wolfpaw, you are only allowed to eat when the kits, queens, and elders have eaten," she sneered, lifting her head superiorly but not taking her eyes off Wolfpaw for a minute. "Or have you already forgotten what Pantherstar taught you?" Wolfpaw snorted.

"Actually, Pantherstar hasn't told me that yet," she retorted.

"Yeah right, you're just trying to save face," the tabby scoffed.

"In front of who?" Wolfpaw challenged. "You?" Blossompaw looked around the camp for a quick moment, realizing that no one else was up. Wolfpaw smiled triumphantly.

"Whatever," she snarled. "Anyway, you're not allowed to eat before the elders, queens, and kits have eaten." And with that, she stalked away. Wolfpaw rolled her eyes, peeled off the scaly skin, and bit into the lizard.

"Wolfpaw?" Wolfpaw's eyes went up to the sky and she turned her head again, sighing in her mind. _Great StarClan, can't any cat just eat around here? _She quickly regained a look of respect on her face when she realized it was Pantherstar.

"Yes?" she replied, taking another bite of the lizard. Pantherstar frowned at that action.

"I believe it is my fault for not telling you this yet, but you aren't allowed to eat before the elders, queens, and kits," he meowed. Wolfpaw glanced at Blossompaw, who was smirking smugly at the edge of the clearing. Wolfpaw sent Blossompaw her most deadly glare and the tabby flinched visibly and looked away. Wolfpaw turned her gaze back to Pantherstar, who was gazing at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Pantherstar," Wolfpaw apologized, lowering her head. "But what am I supposed to do with this?" She gestured to the half-eaten lizard.

"You can finish it," Pantherstar mewed, starting to pad away. He glanced over his shoulder and called back to her, "But only this time. And when you're done eating, come find me and we'll go train."

"Today you are going to learn the warrior code," Pantherstar announced, leading Wolfpaw into a small clearing. The drowsy black apprentice nodded, although not completely registering Pantherstar's words.

"Code Number One," Pantherstar began. "Defend your Clan with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as someday you might meet them in battle. Basically don't take a mate from another Clan." _I don't have to worry about that one, _Wolfpaw thought, snorting in her head. _I'm probably not even going to take a mate, let alone from another Clan!_

"Code Number Two, do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory," Pantherstar meowed. Wolfpaw nodded, now listening attentively.

"Code Three, elders, kits, and queens eat before warriors and apprentices. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. However, if any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the queens, kits, and elders are eating."

"Code Four, prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life."

"Code Five, a kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice." Wolfpaw blinked at this.

"So I'm a very young apprentice?" she questioned. Pantherstar tilted his head.

"How old are you?"

"I've just reached six moons."

"Then yes, you are a fairly young apprentice," Pantherstar concluded dismissively, flicking his tail. "Now let's not get off track. Let's see, where was I? Oh yes, Code Six, newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name. So like, they keep watch on the camp."

"Code Seven, a cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored an apprentice first." Pantherstar started to look slightly bored, but Wolfpaw was extremely intrigued.

"Code Eight, the deputy will become leader when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled."

"Why would a leader do something against his Clan?" Wolfpaw asked, bewildered.

"You're thinking too narrowly," Pantherstar told her. "The leader could be power hungry enough to break the warrior code drastically, such as making kits apprentices before they are old enough so that they can attack other Clans, like Brokenstar did. Brokenstar was one of the most evil cats in the history of the Clans." Pantherstar added at Wolfpaw's blank expression. Wolfpaw still didn't get it, but she didn't say anything. _Why would a leader sabotage his or her own Clan?_

"Code Nine, after the death or retirement of a deputy, the new deputy must be appointed before moonhigh."

"Code Ten, a Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night." At Wolfpaw's confused expression, Pantherstar added, "Let me elaborate. So ShadowClan, ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan meet at the island in the middle of the lake. A fallen tree connects the island to land. There is a clearing at the center of the island, and at one end of the clearing, there's a huge tree." Before continuing, Pantherstar paused to let all that sink in. "The leaders sit on the branches of the tree and report things that have happened in their Clans since the last Gathering, such as new warriors and apprentices, deaths, things like that. There will be absolutely no fighting at this time." Wolfpaw nodded slowly, struggling to absorb all that he had told her.

"Code Eleven, boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats." Wolfpaw frowned at this rule.

"But what about cats outside the Clans?" she debated. "What if they don't follow the warrior code? You can't tell them what to do." Pantherstar looked uncomfortable.

"If we don't protect our territory, our Clan won't survive," he answered. Wolfpaw opened her mouth to protest, but Pantherstar cut her off. "I know it isn't fair, but we must think of our Clan above all others." Wolfpaw nodded reluctantly, sadly thinking of all the cats who were starving because they couldn't find food.

"Let's get back to the warrior code, okay?" Pantherstar suggested, trying to distract Wolfpaw. The black she-cat nodded her agreement. Code Twelve, no warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if that kit is from another Clan."

"Code Thirteen, the word of leader is the warrior code." Pantherstar smirked at this. "That means everyone has to obey me." Wolfpaw rolled her eyes and glared mockingly at her mentor.

"Code Fourteen, an honorable warrior doesn't have to kill other cats to win his or her battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense." _Are you reading out of a textbook? _Wolfpaw thought, a tiny bit scornfully. **A/N: So I know cats don't have books and they don't read, but let's just say Wolfpaw was thinking something along that line.**

"Code Fifteen, a warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet." _Kittypet?_

"What's a kittypet?" Wolfpaw asked.

"A kittypet is a cat who lives with twolegs," Pantherstar explained. "Fat, lazy, and naive. Although not all. Firestar was born kittypet, yet he was one of the greatest leaders of all time." Wolfpaw flicked an ear to show she had understood.

"I'll try my best to remember all of that," she promised. Her mentor flicked his tail in satisfaction.

"Good. Now I'll show you the rest of the territory and then we'll go back to camp to eat. How does that sound?" Pantherstar suggested. Wolfpaw nodded her agreement excitedly, so Pantherstar led her out of the clearing.

**Ok you guys, I'm getting desperate. 311 total views and 5 total reviews? Come on you guys. Seriously. Those of you who do review, you rock! And I'll start mentioning people who review and replying to reviews at the top of the chapters.**


	6. Chapter Five

**I'm so sorry! I know I haven't updated in forever! Please don't kill me... *offers you a cookie* So I changed the title to Wolfstar's Tragedy, as you guys probably already noticed. The real tragedy will start later, although there's a part earlier that may seem like the main tragedy.**

**Shadowfur1017: Not really, but for me, I've read Warriors so many times that I know it on instinct. I mean I can't say like "Code Seven is blah blah blah," I got that off Enter the Clans, but I know the code itself.**

**Guest: Thanks!**

**smilesandrainbows: You go to Traffic Stats on the bottom of the left side of the page you get on automatically when you log in. Go to story stats, near the top, there's a bar that says "stories". Click on it and then choose which story you want to know. Then click on story stats, and there you go!**

**likeaboss918: Thank you!**

Chapter Five

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Boulder for a Clan meeting," Pantherstar yowled. Wolfpaw's head jerked up in surprise. She had just settled down in front of the apprentice den to eat the lizard she had chosen from the pile. Wolfpaw sighed mentally and gazed longingly at her lizard. She reluctantly rose up to her paws and padded over to the High Boulder. The rest of the Clan soon gathered, and Wolfpaw looked up expectantly at Pantherstar.

"Blizzardsnow, are you satisfied that Tigerpaw is ready to become a warrior?" Pantherstar asked, turning his gaze on the snow white tom and his apprentice sitting next to him. Wolfpaw blinked in excitement. _Pantherstar__'s going to make Tigerpaw a warrior? _Blizzardsnow nodded confidently in reply to Pantherstar and Tigerpaw's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Then I, Pantherstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Tigerpaw, do you promise to uphold to warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Tigerpaw replied eagerly.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Tigerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tigerstripe. StarClan honors your fighting skill and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan," Pantherstar meowed. He leaned down and lightly touched his muzzle to Tigerstripe's forehead.

"Tigerstripe! Tigerstripe! Tigerstripe!" the Clan chanted. The newly named warrior puffed out his chest proudly.

_I can't wait for that to be me, _Wolfpaw thought excitedly, determined to prove herself even more so that she could be a warrior. Tigerstripe swung his head around and gazed into her eyes. Wolfpaw blinked in surprise. _Why is he looking at me? _She shook her head self-consciously and padded over.

"Congratulations Tigerstripe," she meowed. For some reason the gleam in Tigerstripe's eyes shone even more than the moment when Pantherstar was going to give him his name.

"Thanks Wolfpaw," he replied, beaming. Wolfpaw was beaming out of pride herself. _Someone like Tigerp- stripe was noticing me! A real warrior! And he's not even being mean or anything!_

The black she-cat padded back to the lizard, which had been left lying in front of the den, but her hunger was forgotten. She plopped back down and took bites out of the lizard, but it tasted like sand. All she could think about was becoming a warrior.

_I will prove myself, _Wolfpaw thought. _I will become a warrior. Someday that will be me under the High Boulder._

**I'm really sorry guys, this is really short. I know I should make it longer since I made you wait so long, but there's only so much you can write about in a warrior ceremony and that's all I want to put in this chapter. I swear in the name of StarClan that the next chapter will be much longer!**


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